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Tag: Inec

  • 2015: INEC may weed out 7m multiple registrants from Voters Register

    2015: INEC may weed out 7m multiple registrants from Voters Register

    •INEC uncovers 100, 458 multiple registrations in Anambra

    Barring last minute hitches, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) may eliminate about 6-7million eligible voters out of 73.5million from the nation’s Register of Voters.

    The affected voters had engaged in multiple registrations in order to corrupt the electoral process.

    The commission also said the first phase of the production of 40million Permanent Voters Cards is almost completed.

    INEC’sDirector of ICT, Chidi Nwafor spoke at an interactive session between the Chairman of the commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, media professionals and Civil Society Organisations in Abuja.

    He said the exercise had so far revealed between 6% and 20 per cent of duplicates in each state.

    Nwafor explained that about 100,458 multiple registrants out of 1,718,165 registered voters had been uncovered in Anambra State.

    He said the 100, 458 multiple registrations in Anambra State represented 5.6% of the registered voters.

    He said: “In 2011, tentative figures were declared based on feedback from the field and the commission declared a total of 73.5million registrants nationwide.

    “After the successful conduct of the 2011 elections, the register of voters has been undergoing several processes to improve its quality to ensure a flawless Register of Voters which is the basis for freer, fairer and more credible elections in 2015.”

    He said the deployment of Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) has led to the elimination of multiple registrations.

    He added: “We adopted the Standardized Biometric solution developed by National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

    “The AFIS software allows the commission to execute a de-duplication process on its database of registered voters. This de-duplication process identifies multiple registrations and appropriately flags such

    “The exercise has revealed between 6% and 20% of duplicates in each state. About 34 states have been run successfully, we have only Lagos and Kano left and the process will be completed before the end of this month (August 2013).

    “So, we are looking at eliminating about 6 -7million multiple registrants from the nation’s Register of Voters after the completion of the exercise. I will prefer to give you the accurate figures when we finish.

    “In Anambra State, our data consolidation showed 1, 811, 519 but AFIS revealed 1,718, 165(leaving a difference of 93, 354 or about 5.2 per cent). And when we applied business rules, we finally arrived at 1, 711,061 voters with additional difference of 7,104 bring the percentage of multiple registrations to 5.6 per cent in Anambra State.

    On the Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVC), Nwafor said: “The first phase of PVC to print 40million voters’ cards is almost completed and the delivery of these cards to the commission is ongoing.

    “The PVC second phase to print 33million voters’ cards has been awarded and it is ongoing.

    “INEC has employed the services of an Independent Card Assessor to confirm that card quality meets specifications.”

    When a stakeholder raised, the ICT Director said: “The PVC has ten years durability and it can be used for electronic identification and authentication of voters during general elections.”

     

  • Okupe used to work for me, says Ikimi

    •Seeks overhaul of INEC personnel

    The Chairman, Merger Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Tom Ikimi, yesterday said he has used the Senior Special Assistant to the President, Dr. Doyin Okupe, to do many things.

    Okupe, in a statement on Sunday, described leaders of the new party as expired analogue party men of yesterday.

    Responding yesterday to Okupe’s statement, Ikimi said: “Well, water is seeking its own level. I am glad you have described my good friend, Doyin Okupe, as my former Publicity Secretary. I have an excellent relationship with Okupe. I speak to him on the phone regularly.

    “I believe he is doing the job that he is being paid to do in the rank of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and in his office. I have used Okupe before to do various things and I believe the President is now finding him useful to do some of those things. But this time, they’re negative things.”

    The APC chieftain said he was satisfied with the successful outcome of several attempts to unify the opposition in Nigeria over the years.

    He said: “To me, the news brought a great feeling of personal accomplishment as I had for several years looked forward to a scenario where there would be two dominant parties in Nigeria, as in the case of most civilised democracies.”

    Ikimi said the briefing was to acknowledge the zeal of APC leaders – Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff and the 88 politicians who worked in the merger committee.

    He hailed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for ignoring the machinations of APC opponents to register the new party.

    The frontline politician noted that the task before the commission was enormous.

    Ikimi said: “They (INEC officials) have to deliver free and fair general elections in 2015. We must move away now permanently from the aberration of the 2007 elections. Accordingly, Prof Attahiru Jega must ensure that INEC personnel from the top to the bottom is urgently overhauled and biometrics, which was partially introduced in 2011, is fully implemented in 2015.”

    The APC chieftain explained that the mandate of the merger committee was to conclude a merger with parties, groups and individuals.

     

     

     

     

     

  • Why INEC registered APC – Jega

    Why INEC registered APC – Jega

     

    The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, on Monday broke his silence on the registration of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    He said APC was registered as a merger party because it met all the requirements.

    He insisted that the registration of APC was “done right under the law.”

    He, however, said the commission would appeal against a court judgment which nullified its decision to de-register Fresh Party and other parties.

    Jega made the clarification while responding to questions at a stakeholders’ conference with media professionals and civil society organizations on Voter Register Optimization, Plans for Continuous Voter Registration.

    He also said it is not time to release the 2015 general elections timetable.

    Jega said: “With regards to our registration of APC and what informed what we have done, it is clear to us that the parties that intend to merge have met all the legal requirements of merger and we have done all the internal processes or processing application for merger and we have taken the decision to register them and we believe we are right to do so under the law.

    “I cannot comment on other issues because those issues are subject to litigation but we are satisfied that what we have done is right under the law and that is why we did it.”

    Responding to a question, the INEC chairman said APC can participate in the November governorship poll in Anambra State.

     

     

  • Anambra: Over 90,000 multiple registration cases detected – Jega

    Anambra: Over 90,000 multiple registration cases detected – Jega

    The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, said in Abuja on Monday that the commission had detected 93,526 multiple registration cases in Anambra ahead of the November 16 governorship election in the state.

    Jega made the fact known during an interactive session with civil society organisations and the media on voters’ registration optimisation.

    He said the figure, which had been removed from the voters’ register, represented five per cent of the registered voters in Anambra.

    He said the offenders would be prosecuted as INEC was collaborating with the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) to bring the perpetrators to book.

    “This exercise is starting with Anambra and would be done nationwide before the 2015 general elections,’’ the News Agency of Nigeria quoted Prof. Jega as saying at the interactive session.

    The INEC chairman identified underage registration as a major problem affecting smooth registration in the country.

    He expressed concern that in many communities where multiple registrations occurred, INEC officials were helpless after threats by some members of the communities.

    He said, henceforth, all voters’ cards would be issued and collected at the local governments with age identification by the electorate to minimise electoral fraud.

     

     

     

  • Of FRESH Party and inec

    Of FRESH Party and inec

    Just as the nation is reeling from the comical saga of Senator Ahmed Yerima’s child marriage legislation, the shock victory of Rev. Chris Okotie’s FRESH Party against the INEC in the legal tussle over the party’s deregistration in an Abuja Federal High Court is creating ripples across the judicial and political landscape.

    FRESH has won what, in sporting terms, could rightly be called an upset victory. That is when an underdog inflicts a humiliating defeat on an acclaimed champion. INEC’s Attahiru Jega, backed by the mythical federal might has gone about deregistering smaller parties in an arrogant manner, making provocative pronouncements that clearly gave out the supposed neutral election umpire as a PDP Man Friday.

    Less than six months after the 2011 pesidential election, the commission, acting on a controversial Electoral Act 2012 (as amended) in collaboration with the PDP-controlled National Assembly, threatened to decree what it calls non-performing parties out of existence. About a year later, Prof Jega made good his threat despite widespread public outcry and went ahead to first deregister six parties, and then on December 6, 2012, brought the hammer on 28 political parties, including Rev. Okotie’s FRESH.

    All the affected parties, some of which were led by veteran politicians like Balarabe Musa, a second republic Governor of Kaduna State, and former Secretary to the Babangida military regime, Chief Olu Falae, cried out loud against this injustice, but the INEC would not burge. Some, like FRESH went to court to seek redress. While a Lagos High Court had earlier ruled in favour of the INEC’s position that it could deregister political parties based on Section 78(7)(ii), Rev. Okotie’s party ignored this obvious setback and pursued its case independently at an Abuja High Court.

    Notwithstanding the cloud of uncertainty hanging over the judiciary over some recent questionable rulings of its officers, FRESH kept faith with the system. This persistence finally paid off on Monday July 29, 2013 in an Abuja Federal High Court of Justice Gabriel Kolawole. After carefully considering the protracted arguments of the INEC and FRESH on the propriety or otherwise of the deregistration exercise, the Honourable Justice declared that the INEC’s action is unconstitutional and invalid. He went on to recommend that the offending Section 78(7)(II) be expunged from the constitution.

    One must give kudos to Rev. Okotie for his doggedness, a crucial quality of a strong leader whose grit would inevitably be called forth at critical moments; and without sounding patronizing, his two lawyers, Messrs Fred Agbaje and Kola Dopamu, deserve praise for their brilliant submissions that swayed the judge.

    The tardiness of INEC’s lawyers and the lacklustre attitude of the entire defendants who have a weak defence anyway, exposed their illegality in the face of legal fireworks by Okotie’s attorneys. These guys have written their names in legal history for this landmark judgment like Lord Denning said, “Justice must be done, even if the heavens fall.” The truth is that it is the earth that quakes, the heavens never fall because God always vindicates the just.

    I am not a member of FRESH, but I love the party’s boldness and its philosophy of paradigm shift in the running of the affairs of state. It strikes me as a party of the future. But the future starts now. It goes beyond proving a point by taking on the heavyweights of our polity as Rev. Okotie has been doing since he joined the fray in 2002.

    It is not easy to contend with the federal might. Aso Rock has a way of destroying its opponents, but so far, FRESH has proved to be a tough customer. This party could well pull the rug out of the feet of the almighty PDP, sooner than later. At least, with this legal triumph over the President’s party, FRESH has shown that it is a strong contender for power which can not be wearied by the arm-twisting and dirty tactics of a corrupt ruling elite.

    From the legal perspective, one cannot but commend Justice Kolawole for doing his job without fear or favour. That is precisely what the tenets of the profession demand of every practitioner: Dispensation of justice no matter whose ox is gored; no matter the stakes. Those who claim that the judicature is dead and buried, I say, you are wrong.

    This great verdict is a victory that resonates beyond our borders. It must alert those who have given up on Nigeria, including our fervent admirers that this country still has men of integrity in positions of leadership, in the judiciary, in the legislature and even in government. Our foreign friends must be happy that you never say never, with Nigeria. This nation, under righteous leaders, can redeem its battered image. Picking the pieces of our broken nation is an opportunity offered on a platter of gold by this divinely inspired verdict.

    We must seize this moment and begin to challenge those who want us to continue doing business as usual. The paradigm must shift, even from now; not just in politics; but in all aspects of our lives. Some folks in power who benefit from our current suffering will go any length to resist the change we all desire. But it is a well established fact that when change comes, nothing can stop it.

    This legal victory for our democracy is an encouraging signpost to paradise. Nobody is saying any change is easy. There’s never a royal road to victory. Nigerians must stand up for their rights. If we fail to do this against the foolish, child marriage legislation being promoted by some paedophile lawmakers, for instance, we’d end up with a huge moral burden. One is highly disappointed that our President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, has not spoken out against this looming injustice against the girl child, when President Barack Obama has openly condemned the verdict of a jury which perverted justice by failing to convict a white murderer of a black kid.

    Selective justice is a subversion of the democratic process. That’s what FRESH fought for in this case of deregistration. Every Nigerian has a right to belong to a party of his choice regardless of the size, financial clout or popularity of such a party. A small party with purpose and integrity is better than a big party of corrupt, greedy elites.

    The survival of parties should be left for the electorate to decide; not the PDP. If that’s the only point from this verdict, I’m satisfied with it.

    •Ashiru wrote from Kaduna

  • Why INEC registered All Progressives Congress

    Why INEC registered All Progressives Congress

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) registered the All Progressives Congress (APC) based on four factors, The Nation learnt yesterday.

    The four factors are: •substantial compliance with Section 222 of the 1999 Constitution and Section 78 of the Electoral Act by merger parties; •absence of any injunction restraining INEC from registering the party; •the commission’s stand to be courageous and take a definite position; and •the need to open up the electoral space for a free and fair contest.

    According to sources, despite the fact that a department tried to delay the registration of the APC on technical ground of a subsisting court process, INEC decided to be courageous.

    It was gathered that INEC discovered that if it had not acted within the law, APC would have been automatically registered within 30 days of the submission of its application.

    A National Commissioner, who spoke in confidence, said: “We subjected the application for merger of the parties to Section 222 of the 1999 Constitution and Section 78 of the Electoral Act.

    “The field report confirmed that the ACN, the ANPP and the CPC met all the requirements to merge. So, we have no cause to deny them this right. There were no fault lines; they kept to the guidelines. Denying them registration could overheat the system as if INEC is being stereotyped by some forces.”

    Responding to a question, the commissioner said APC’s registration was not subjudice to the ongoing court action by a group laying claim to the acronym.

    The source said: “One, there is no injunction restraining INEC from registering All Progressives Congress. Although some officers cited ongoing court action by All Peoples Congress, we got legal advice that we should stick to the provision of the Electoral Act.

    “Section 78 of the Electoral Act says: ‘A political association that meets the conditions stipulated in the Constitution and this Act shall be registered by the Commission as a political party within 30 days from the date of receipt of the application, and if after the 30 days such association is not registered by the Commission unless the Commission informs the association to the contrary it shall be deemed to have been registered.

    “What it means is that since we have no objection to the merger of the three parties to form APC, they will stand registered automatically after 30 days whether we make a pronouncement or not.

    “Instead of allowing APC to emerge by default, we decided to be courageous in registering the merger party. INEC does not want to be seen as cowardly at all.

    “The court hearing the application of the pseudo group had adjourned till September or October and there is no way INEC can wait till then to determine the fate of the All Progressives Congress. If we had waited, we will be violating the Electoral Act and there will be no legal basis for registering the new merger party again.”

    The commissioner also added: “The Chairman of INEC, Prof. Attahiru Jega, and his team opted to widen the electoral space to promote a free and fair process or contest.

    “I think with this decision, Nigerians can have more choice. It is part of the mandate of INEC to make the electoral process transparent.”

  • Kudos for INEC over APC’s registration

    Kudos for INEC over APC’s registration

    Lawyers, politicians and public commentators yesterday praised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for registering the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi and his Lagos State counterpart, Babatunde Fashola, said they were delighted the APC got registered.

    Fayemi, in a statement yesterday, congratulated the founding fathers and the team that worked to ensure that the new party scaled the hurdle.

    He said Nigerians should look forward to better days ahead, nothing that the era of clueless governance at the centre would soon be over in the country.

    Fayemi said APC would provide true democracy where every Nigerian would have a clear choice to elect leaders that are accountable and responsive to their yearnings.

    Fayemi described the emergence of APC as a new ray of hope to the common man, adding that the progressives and the real democrats would ensure that democracy makes a headway in the country, adding that never again would the will of a cabal subvert the common desire of the common man.

    Fashola, in a statement, said: “I felicitate with all lovers of democracy on this milestone registration of the All Progressives Congress (APC). This is not just a merger. It is history. The first merger in Nigeria. I am proud to have been a part of it. A real choice now emerges for the people of Nigeria.”

    The Southeast Deputy Chairman of the APC, Senator Annie Okonkwo, said INEC’s registration of APC has shown that democracy is working and the constitution is supreme to any individual or group interests.

    Okonkwo said: “INEC should demonstrate that it is working within the ambit of the law by conducting free and fair election in the coming years. Through popular elections, corrupt politicians will not find their ways into governance and that will reduce corruption in the country.”

    He advised the electoral umpire to remain upright as Nigerians and the world would be watching its activities.

    “It should not allow any interest to use it. INEC should serve the people of the country not party interest. The registration of APC shows that it is willing to remain upright and do what Nigerians expect from it.”

    A Professor of Constitutional Law, Prof Itse Sagay (SAN), said the registration of the party was not a surprise because the sponsors had met all requirements for merger.

    Sagay said the three political parties involved held separate conventions and dissolved into the APC.

    He said: “I am delighted that APC has been registered as a political party in spite of a contraption hurriedly put in place by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to scuttle the efforts of the three political parties that had earlier announced the formation of APC. It is a great thing that has happened at this time when Nigeria is at a crossroads.

    “I congratulate INEC for being firm on this matter. It has proved to be independent. We look forward for more actions from them to prove it’s a neutral body.”

    A former Military Governor of Kaduna State, Col Abubakar Umar (rtd), said the registration of the APC has proved wrong those thinking INEC was up to mischief as a result of the delay.

    Umar said with the registration of APC, Nigeria can now boast of two major parties because APC and PDP, according to him, are at par.

    He said: “APC is a big party. They have many serious people in their fold. If they allow internal democracy to reign, they will achieve a lot. They should avoid too much expectation which if not met could lead to serious consequence.”

    Former Governor of Edo State Chief John Odigie-Oyegun and former Minister of Police Affairs Dr Ibrahim Lame applauded the registration of the APC, which Oyegun described as a “fantastic news”. Lame called it a “fundamental development”.

    Lame said: “We have succeeded in our merger, and Nigeria is going to have it better now. APC will now face the transformation of the country and see how to move it forward. APC cannot afford to fail, it will endeavour to do the right thing. It will be built on democratic tenets, integrity and moving Nigeria forward. The politics or rigging, of opportunism, of ethnicity must not come into APC. It will be a party of progress and party of capacity and competence.”

    Oyegun added that “We had no doubt that it would be registered because every time we were negotiating and preparing, we had the law in front of us to meet the requirements of the law. We have completed phase one, the next is to present ourselves to the Nigerian people very soon. We congratulate ourselves”.

    The Minority Leader in the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila (ACN, Lagos) described the registration of APC as the best thing that can happen to the nation’s democracy.

    Also, Deputy Minority Leader Abdulrahman Kawu Sumaila (ANPP, Kano), praised INEC for living up to expectations.

    Speaking with the The Nation yesterday in Abuja, Gbajabiamila said: “Whatever indices you might want to use, it is crystal clear that the PDP has failed Nigerians. The coming of APC is to pave the way for a new dawn.”

    Sumaila said Nigerians would heave a sigh of relief.

    He said: “With the coming of the APC, the days of the ruling monster, PDP are numbered. Nigerians can now heave a sigh of relief in since the APC is here to salvage Nigeria and Nigerians come 2015.”

    The Convener of Coalition of Democrats for Election Reforms (CODER), Ayo Opadokun, said the emergence of the party would reshape the political set up.

    Opadokun said: “The registration of APC is a phenomena opportunity to reconfigure the Nigeria political polity having regard to the characterisation of the elements who spearheaded the formation of APC.

    “I am tempted to imagine that the Nigerian electorate would totally capture this unique opportunity to elect credible and expressive personalities that have made claim to better performances in the past.

    “Nigerians cannot afford the current situation where Nigeria spends 72-78 per cent of her total income to run political bureaucracy. Nigeria should make a choice between the unproductive element in the highest political offices in the country and those who have championed productive governance in the land.

    “The situation we have today where our social services have deteriorated beyond tolerance, our basic infrastructure have decayed and are dehumanising; we cannot further place our fortunes in the hands of wrongly headed people.

    “The registration of APC suggests to me that the remaining progressive elements in the land commit themselves towards productive governance, establishment and nurturing of democracy and democratisation generally, the chances are Nigeria can have a breathing space to re-organise its national profile within the comity of nations.

    “The event of this registration is not a child play. It is a call to action on the leadership of APC. Nigerians have been for a long time traumatised and they deserve a befitting set of performing political leaders for now.”

    Lagos State House of Assembly Speaker Adeyemi Ikuforiji commended the leaders of the Action Congress of Nigeria(ACN), the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), the All Nigeria People’s Party(ANPP) and a faction of the All Progressives Grand Alliance(APGA) for forming the APC.

    In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Rotimi Adebayo, Ikuforiji said: “ As the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) formally registers our party, the All Progressives Congress, (APC), I, on behalf of all my fellow legislators in the Lagos Assembly send our warm congratulations to all the visionary leaders of all the merged political parties, who came together to make this dream a reality.”

    “It is highly patriotic and most commendable for the likes of our indefatigable leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, former Head of State, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, and all the other notable leaders of the merged political parties like Owelle Rochas Okorocha to have put the national interest above their personal interest in their bid to ensure the formal registration of the new party without delay.”

    He praised INEC Chair Prof. Attahiru Jega for the prompt registration of the party.

    He added: “ I equally must thank all our people, particularly Lagosians, who have always massively supported our progressive governments in Lagos State since 1999, when we all embraced the Alliance of Democracy, and later the ACN, under our leader and former Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu and incumbent Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN).

    “I urge all our people and all progressive-minded Nigerians in every part of our country to massively support our new party in order to enjoy the real dividends of democracy that would be put in place for all Nigerians when the APC wins and forms the government at all levels come 2015.”

    The governorship candidate of the defunct ACN in Ondo State, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN), said the news of APC’s registration after several months of apprehension and suspicion was soothing

    Akeredolu said: “Amidst the continual socio-political occurrences of disquieting proportions this singular adherence to constitutional provision by INEC is capable of deepening our democratic experiment in spite of its progression in fits and starts.

    “The easy charge of dictatorial tendencies, liberally levelled by members of the ruling party and direct beneficiaries of bad governance against the notable leaders of these erstwhile political parties, a lie espoused by the unwary, is now buried in the ashes of trepidation and anxiety on the part of visionless politicians.

    “I congratulate all party leaders who made enormous sacrifices to make this dream a reality. I felicitate with all members of the party in the country, especially in my dear Ondo State, on this milestone. I seize this opportunity to admonish all our members to remain steadfast and be focused.

    “Our people need us, more than ever before, to free them from the shackles of oppression and impunity. We cannot afford to rest until the final victory is won.”

    Majority Leader of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Ajibayo Adeyeye, said the registration of the APC was a sign of better things to come.

    Adeyeye spoke in an interview with The Nation at the Assembly complex yesterday.

    He said: “It is a welcome development and I am happy about it. It is a sign of a better thing to come for Nigeria. It is a sign that very soon we will have a good change at the center.

    “You should expect that with the registration of APC, Nigerians are bound to now breathe an air of freedom, an air of development in our country, an air of a people-oriented party and people-centred party taking the reign of power. I have no doubt in my mind that come 2015, leadership at the centre will change. APC will take over and Nigeria will be better for it.”

    An interim member of the National Executive Committee of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Mr. Miriki Ebikibina, yesterday described the new party as a credible alternative for Nigerians.

    Ebikibina, who was the National Youth Leader of the ACN said: “APC has been registered despite daunting challenges placed on the wheels of its progress. This is the first ever true merger of parties in Nigeria. This is historic and we are happy.”

    He said as democrats, leaders of APC would ensure that democracy “is protected and deepened in the country”.

    He added that the development was a demonstration that APC was strong and was not dead on arrival as some persons claimed.

    “Nigerians should freely identify with APC. We commend the leaders for the commitment and sacrifices towards ensuring that this historical merging was a success and we also commend INEC for complying with due process.”

    The lawmaker representing Oredo Federal Constituency, Razaq Bello-Osagie, praised leaders of APC for their commitment to ensuring the registration of the party

    Razaq, in a statement in Benin City, said the APC leaders have created a platform that would provide an alternative government come 2015.

    He said: “The process to greatness has commenced. I look forward to a new Nigeria.”

  • INEC registers APC

    INEC registers APC

    The Independent National Electoral Commission has finally given the nod for the merger of the leading opposition parties in the country- Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC).

    The parties formed the All Progressives Congress in the efforts to provide a formidable challenge for the ruling Peoples Democratic Party in the 2015 elections.

    Following the approval, the individual certificates of the three parties involved in the merger had been withdrawn.

    The statement reads:

    “The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has approved the application by three political parties – the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) – to merge into one, to be known as the All Progressives Congress.

    “On considering the application, the Commission found that the applicant-parties have met all statutory requirements for the merger, and has accordingly granted their request.

    “Consequently, the Commission has approved the withdrawal of the individual certificates of the applicant-parties, and the issuance of a single certificate to the All Progressives Congress.”

     

  • INEC meets on APC registration on Thursday

    INEC meets on APC registration on Thursday

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will on Thursday make its position known on whether to register the All Progressives Congress (APC) or not.

    The electoral commission said it would follow compliance with the laws instead of sentiments.

    But it was learnt that INEC field officials did not see APC as a religious party, contrary to insinuations.

    According to sources, INEC Chairman Prof. Attahiru Jega and all the National Commissioners will meet on Thursday.

    Some of the National Commissioners who travelled abroad were being recalled yesterday, according to sources.

    A source, who spoke in confidence, said: “We will lay the controversy over the registration of All Progressives Congress to rest on Thursday. But INEC management will be guided by the provisions of the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act.

    “We will also stick to our target of making the political space as free and fair as possible to all stakeholders without partiality.

    “We are hopeful that by Thursday, most of the National Commissioners would have been around.”

    On the insinuation that the APC is a religious party, the source said: “Our officials did not find such a colouration in their assessment to brand APC a religious party.

    “If we did, we would have made our position known that we cannot register the party. We screened the list of all its national officers and nothing suggested a tilt towards any religion.”

    The source stressed that INEC’s decision would be informed by Section 222 of the 1999 Constitution and Section 78 of the Electoral Act.

    “We have been doing final assessment of the application of the APC in line with these provisions in the Constitution and the Electoral Act,” the source said.

    Section 222 of the Constitution says: “No Association by whatever name called shall function as a political party unless:

    the names and addresses of its national officers are registered with the Independent National Electoral Commission;

    b. the membership of the association is opened to every citizen of Nigeria irrespective of his place of origin, circumstance of birth, sex, religion or ethnic grouping

    c. a copy of its Constitution is registered in the principal office of INEC in such form as may be prescribed by INEC

    any alteration in its registered Constitution is also registered in the principal office of INEC within 30 days of the making of such alteration

    the name of the association, its symbol or logo does not contain any ethnic or religious connotation or give the appearance that the activities of the association are confined to a part only of the geographical area of Nigeria and

    the headquarters of the association is situated in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja

    Section 78 of the Electoral Act reads: “A political association that complies with the provision of the constitution and this Act for the purposes of registration shall be registered as a political party. Provided that such application for registration as a political party shall be duly submitted to the Commission not later than six months before a general election.

    “The Commission shall, on receipt of the documents in fulfillment of the conditions stipulated by the Constitution, immediately issue the applicant with a letter of acknowledgement stating that all the necessary document has been submitted to the Commission.

    “If the association has not fulfilled all the conditions under the section, the Commission shall within 30 days from the receipt of its application notify the association in writing stating the reasons for non-registration.

    “A political association that meets the conditions stipulated in the constitution and this Act shall be registered by the Commission as a political party within 30 days from the date of receipt of the application, and if after the 30 days such association is not registered by the Commission unless the Commission informs the association to the contrary, it shall be deemed to have been registered.

    “An association which, through the submission of false or misleading information pursuant to the provisions of this section, procures a certificate of registration shall have such certificate cancelled.

    “An application for registration as a political party shall not be processed unless there is evidence of payment of administrative fee as may be fixed from time to time by the Commission.

    “The Commission shall have power to deregister political parties on the following grounds; breach of any of the requirement for registration and for failure to win a seat in the National or State Assembly election.”

  • Court overrules INEC on Fresh Party’s deregistration

    Court overrules INEC on Fresh Party’s deregistration

    A Federal High Court in Abuja yesterday voided the decision by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the Fresh Democratic Party (FDP).

    Justice Gabriel Kolawole held that INEC acted unconstitutionally as it exercised its powers to deregister the party without giving it fair hearing as provided by the Constitution.

    The judge also voided the provision of Section 78(7)(ii) of the Electoral Act 2011 for being inconsistent with the provision of the Constitution.

    That portion of the Electoral Act allows INEC to deregister any party that did not win either National Assembly or State Assembly seat.

    The judgment was on a suit by FDP challenging its last year deregistration by INEC. The party was among 28 others proscribed by the electoral body.

    Justice Kolawole held that the powers to deregister parties, granted to INEC in Section 78(7)(ii) of the Electoral Act assumes quasi-judicial nature when it comes to deregistering parties, and “must not be exercised without giving the party to be deregistered a fair hearing.

    “The first plaintiff (FDP) was entitled to be heard by the first defendant (INEC) before taking the decision to deregister it,” the judge held.

    Justice Kolawole criticised INEC’s defence, holding that it failed to provide any shred of evidence to prove that it accorded the party fair hearing before proceeding to deregister it.

    The judge, though upheld the National Assembly’s power to make laws as it relates to its enactment of the Electoral Act 2011, held that paragraph 2 subsection 7 of section 78 of the Electoral Act was inconsistent with the Constitution.

    Justice Kolawole described the provision, as enacted by the National Assembly, as “a legislative mischief that must be addressed.”

    He held that the country’s electoral process had not matured to the level where it could garanty free and fair election.

    The judge noted that the concern of all should be how to create acredible electoral process.

    He granted nine of the plaintiffs’ 10 prayers, which include that INEC breached Sections 14, 15(2) and (3) and 17 of the Constitution in excercising its powers to deregister parties.

    Justice Kolawole also held that INEC, as established under Section 153 of the Constitution, could not deregister parties without recourse to sections 221-229 of the Constitution.

    The judge refused to grant the plaintiffs’ prayer for N10millon cost. He asked them to see their effort as a contribution to the growth of the nation’s democratic process.